Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
2.5
Journals
Applied Sciences
Special Issues
Innovative Horizons: Exploring the Convergence of Gamification and Virtual Reality
applsci-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Applied Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Innovative Horizons: Exploring the Convergence of Gamification and Virtual Reality

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 610

Special Issue Editors

Dr. André Sales Mendes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Expert Systems and Applications Lab (ESALAB), Faculty of Science, University of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: computer languages and systems; computer science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Héctor Sánchez San Blas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Expert Systems and Applications Lab—ESALAB, Faculty of Science, University of Salamanca, Plaza de los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: Internet of Things; telerehabilitation; virtual reality; patient monitoring; pose estimation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the integration of gamification and virtual reality (VR) has gained significant traction across various domains, including education, healthcare, and industry. Gamification leverages game design elements to enhance user engagement and motivation, while virtual reality offers immersive experiences that enable users to interact with digital environments in unprecedented ways. The convergence of these two powerful tools opens new avenues for innovation, creating opportunities to address complex challenges and improve outcomes in both learning and operational settings.

 We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to explore the latest advancements, methodologies, and applications of gamification and VR. Moreover, it seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share insights into how these technologies are shaping the future of human–computer interactions.

Suggested Themes:

  • Gamification strategies in virtual environments;
  • Applications of VR and gamification in education and training;
  • Health and therapy innovations using gamified VR experiences;
  • Technological advancements and challenges in combining VR and gamification;
  • User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for gamified VR systems;
  • Psychological and behavioral impacts of gamified VR experiences;
  • Gamification in augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR);
  • Serious games in VR for skill development;
  • Cultural and social considerations in gamified VR systems;
  • Ethical implications and data privacy in gamified VR applications.

Dr. André Sales Mendes
Guest Editor

Dr. Héctor Sánchez San Blas
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virtual reality
  • gamification
  • gamified VR

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

14 pages, 1010 KiB  
Article
Games with a Purpose for Part-of-Speech Tagging and the Impact of the Applied Game Design Elements on Player Enjoyment and Games with a Purpose Preference
by Rosa Lilia Segundo Díaz, Gustavo Rovelo Ruiz, Miriam Bouzouita, Véronique Hoste and Karin Coninx
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 3561; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073561 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 231
Abstract
Linguistic tasks such as Part-of-Speech (PoS) tagging can be tedious, but are crucial for the development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools. Games With A Purpose (GWAPs) aim to reduce the monotony of the task for native speakers and non-experts who contribute to [...] Read more.
Linguistic tasks such as Part-of-Speech (PoS) tagging can be tedious, but are crucial for the development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools. Games With A Purpose (GWAPs) aim to reduce the monotony of the task for native speakers and non-experts who contribute to crowdsourcing projects. This study focuses on revising and correcting PoS tags in the Corpus Oral y Sonoro del Español Rural (COSER), the largest collection of oral data in the Spanish-speaking world, to create a parsed corpus of European Spanish dialects. It also examines how game design elements (GDEs) affect players’ enjoyment. Three games—Agentes, Tesoros, and Anotatlón—were developed, incorporating different GDEs, such as rewards and challenges. The results show two levels of enjoyment: at the concept level with Anotatlón, and at the level of individual GDEs with Tesoros. This suggests that certain GDEs influence player enjoyment and, consequently, their preference for certain games. However, the study also shows the complexity of evaluating triggers for player enjoyment in games with more than one implemented GDE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Horizons: Exploring the Convergence of Gamification and Virtual Reality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 241 KiB  
Systematic Review
Challenges and Implications of Virtual Reality in History Education: A Systematic Review
by Rafael Villena-Taranilla and Pascual D. Diago
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 5589; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105589 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 37
Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for history education, offering immersive and interactive learning experiences. However, its implementation in educational settings presents several challenges that remain under-explored. This systematic review, conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and [...] Read more.
Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for history education, offering immersive and interactive learning experiences. However, its implementation in educational settings presents several challenges that remain under-explored. This systematic review, conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, aims to identify the main technical, usability, economic, psychological, social, and ethical challenges associated with the use of VR in history teaching. A literature search was performed in the Scopus (Elsevier) database, retrieving 2794 studies, from which a final selection of 14 papers was made based on predefined eligibility criteria. The findings indicate that interoperability issues, high hardware and software requirements, and navigation difficulties hinder VR integration. Moreover, usability concerns, including complex interfaces and cognitive overload, affect both students and educators, emphasizing the need for specialized teacher training. Economic barriers, such as the high cost of VR equipment and software, limit accessibility in resource-constrained institutions. Additionally, psychological and social challenges, including user discomfort, confusion between reality and fiction, and ethical concerns, were identified. These findings highlight the necessity of addressing these limitations to optimize VR’s pedagogical potential in history education. Future research should focus on developing cost-effective solutions, enhancing usability, and designing comprehensive training programs to facilitate the effective adoption of VR in educational contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Horizons: Exploring the Convergence of Gamification and Virtual Reality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop